WASHINGTON — Question 1:
Will hand dryers kill the coronavirus?
Answer:
No. Our health experts said that the heat does not elevate to the level that it would destroy the virus. The best way to stop the virus is to wash your hands frequently, disinfect your surfaces, and practice social distancing
Sources:
Dr. Larry Chang from Johns Hopkins University
The World Health Organization
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
Process:
This myth has been circulating online for more than a month. This prompted the World Health Organization to post about it on their Myth Busters Page.
"Hand dryers are not effective," the WHO wrote. "In killing the new coronavirus."
Dr. Larry Chang from Johns Hopkins University agreed.
"There's no evidence that hand drying reaches enough temperatures," he said. "Or that drying out the virus is going to prevent transmission."
Question 2:
Are hand dryers spreading the coronavirus?
Answer:
Our experts said no. There is no evidence that these hand dryers are spreading the virus.
Sources:
Dr. Larry Chang from Johns Hopkins University
The World Health Organization
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
Process:
On social media, there are lots of people posting about the apparent dangers of hand dryers, when it comes to coronavirus.
"I bet those hand dryer things are full of coronavirus," wrote one person on Twitter.
To find out if this is true, the Verify Team turned to the experts. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention said that this is false.
"We have no evidence of hand dryers spreading the virus," a spokesperson wrote in a statement.